CEC hopes to finalize the votes registry by 2009

The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) hopes to finalize the state voters electronic registry by 2009. The statement was made by CEC secretary Iurie Ciocan on Thursday, May 15, in the Parliament, as the law on the concept of the Alegeri (Elections) info system was passed, Info-prim Neo reports. The law is thought to incur expenditures of 33 million lei, said the CEC secretary. Two thirds of the money is expected from foreign donors. The voters registry is designed to be an information system, meant to collect, store and analyze the information about the Moldovan citizens reaching 18 years of age. According to Iurie Ciocan, first they will take over data from the citizens' state registry, and then they will ad to it special information. Only the CEC will have free access to the registry. The access for other interested people will be insured on the basis of the law on the access to information. The Alegeri system is set up to automatize the processes of preparing, unfolding and tabulating elections. Still, only the results of the manual calculation of the ballots cast by voters will have legal power, at the initial stage.